Twenty-six Moods Of A Dark Lord
Title: Twenty-six Moods of a dark Lord, Chapter 4 & 5
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Voldemort
Author's Note: This was originally written for alphabetasoup where I claimed Voldemort and a moods table. Chapter 4 fulfills N is for nostalgic. Chapter 5 fulfills K is for kind.
Summary: A series of vignettes exploring Voldemort's life based on his moods.
Previous Chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three
Disclaimer: It's not mine.
The golden locket is cold in his hand, but his body thrums with the energy the seemingly innocuous piece of jewelry provides. As an orphan, Tom has never known what it’s like to feel connected to a family, to have that… bond. The concept is foreign to him, but he has heard and read about the joys a person can derive from being loved. The further he delves into his family’s lineage however, the clearer it becomes to him that he has not missed something of any use to him. A weak mother, a muggle father - what could he hope to get from that?
It is possible though that the thrill of getting the locket is getting to him, because the second it’s in his grasp, Tom feels a connection to the past that he has never had before. He waits until he is far from Hepzibah Smith’s home to truly give the matter consideration. He had no choice. The house elf’s memories had to be tampered with. Tom had to make sure that his presence in the home would never be noteworthy to anyone examining the witch’s murder. He had to make a horcrux.
Now that his plans have succeeded, he has the time to look over what he’s gained. For a moment, his gaze is distracted, lingers on Hufflepuff’s cup instead. But even with a piece of soul now cased inside, the item isn’t as exciting as the one link Tom has to the great Salazar Slytherin.
Tom is not one for reminiscing, but the locket seems to invite it. The green stones shine brightly in a neat pair of curves to form a brilliant S. It requires no effort to see the serpent in the piece. His thumb traces the jeweled creature and imagines the long line of ascendants required to carry his blood back to Slytherin’s.
Still in the present but now also in a day time has long since forgotten, Tom sees Salazar Slytherin standing before him. The wizard is not physically present, but he might as well be in that moment. Tom imagines looking into the man’s eyes and seeing in those irises, his own destiny.
Tom searches for answers of a different sort too. Why would Slytherin want this locket? The item requires Parseltongue to open, which Tom is able to do without thinking. It’s a piece of jewelry that necessitates a display of magical supremacy in order to work, but Tom wonders if the safeguard was put in place for other reasons. What had the powerful Salazar Slytherin intended to do with a mere trinket anyway?
The golden doors of the locket open and reveal nothing.
It’s oddly disappointing. Tom understands that he wouldn’t have been the only one to see the secret inside should there have been one. Yet it would have been fascinating to see what Slytherin might have used the locket for.
No matter. Tom will find a superior use for it now.
(4/26)
The house is hidden within Burnham Beeches. Although it’s rarely used by Voldemort to bring Death Eaters together, it’s magically concealed, protected with many of the same charms that Hogwarts employs to keep muggles and unfriendly wizards away. The inside consists of necessities for battle and a few frivolous items, should Voldemort ever want them. He never does though; he’s too busy pressing his advantage within the wizarding world for anything else. For that reason, he has had to rely on various locations to deliver the messages other magical means of communication can’t be trusted to send.
Yet Burnham Beeches still serves a purpose even when he can’t be there.
The woodlands can conceal even the loudest of screams.
Within his ranks, there are servants who need a continual supply of violence. Voldemort only forces them to exercise restraint when necessary, on the rare occasion that a traitorous pureblood is worth more alive than dead. Otherwise… why shouldn’t his Death Eaters perfect their bloodletting skills?
Bellatrix in particular seems to require a quantum of torture frequently. Voldemort sees it in her deadened dark eyes. She is infatuated with him because of his own penchant for murder. Should he force her to exercise too much self-control however, she would abandon his ranks. He tolerates this - for now. Like the wildest of creatures, she needs to be coaxed toward obedience. Oh, he’ll hurt her when it’s required, but it would be far better currently to allow her her toys to satiate her hunger.
It will make her more loyal in the end.
He allows her exclusive use of the home when she feels it necessary to play with a muggle or two without distraction. She takes only those who will never be missed or whose disappearance will never be the subject of great speculation. She takes the least impressive muggles who inspire her anger. She knows to leave the magical community alone until he gives her instructions otherwise.
Today will be one of those times when she earns the right to remove a wizard. He travels to Burnham Beeches, where he knows she’s demonstrating her prowess on an unsuspecting mudblood. The order could be delivered other ways, but he wants her to associate his presence with this gift.
Once he passes through the magical barriers, he can hear the screaming. From a girl, he guesses with no real interest in whether or not he’s right. When he enters the home, he is impressed with the amount of blood Bellatrix has managed to extract from a young woman.
Before either woman registers his appearance, Voldemort has raised his wand - “Avada Kedavra” - and killed the muggle. He does not intend to give the filthy mudblood the kindness of a quick release, but today benevolence works to his advantage and the creature’s.
Bellatrix turns to see who has robbed her of the joy of being the one to take the animal’s life. Her rage lessens when she sees who it is.
She smiles at him when he tells her what he wants done.
(5/26)
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Voldemort
Author's Note: This was originally written for alphabetasoup where I claimed Voldemort and a moods table. Chapter 4 fulfills N is for nostalgic. Chapter 5 fulfills K is for kind.
Summary: A series of vignettes exploring Voldemort's life based on his moods.
Previous Chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three
Disclaimer: It's not mine.
The golden locket is cold in his hand, but his body thrums with the energy the seemingly innocuous piece of jewelry provides. As an orphan, Tom has never known what it’s like to feel connected to a family, to have that… bond. The concept is foreign to him, but he has heard and read about the joys a person can derive from being loved. The further he delves into his family’s lineage however, the clearer it becomes to him that he has not missed something of any use to him. A weak mother, a muggle father - what could he hope to get from that?
It is possible though that the thrill of getting the locket is getting to him, because the second it’s in his grasp, Tom feels a connection to the past that he has never had before. He waits until he is far from Hepzibah Smith’s home to truly give the matter consideration. He had no choice. The house elf’s memories had to be tampered with. Tom had to make sure that his presence in the home would never be noteworthy to anyone examining the witch’s murder. He had to make a horcrux.
Now that his plans have succeeded, he has the time to look over what he’s gained. For a moment, his gaze is distracted, lingers on Hufflepuff’s cup instead. But even with a piece of soul now cased inside, the item isn’t as exciting as the one link Tom has to the great Salazar Slytherin.
Tom is not one for reminiscing, but the locket seems to invite it. The green stones shine brightly in a neat pair of curves to form a brilliant S. It requires no effort to see the serpent in the piece. His thumb traces the jeweled creature and imagines the long line of ascendants required to carry his blood back to Slytherin’s.
Still in the present but now also in a day time has long since forgotten, Tom sees Salazar Slytherin standing before him. The wizard is not physically present, but he might as well be in that moment. Tom imagines looking into the man’s eyes and seeing in those irises, his own destiny.
Tom searches for answers of a different sort too. Why would Slytherin want this locket? The item requires Parseltongue to open, which Tom is able to do without thinking. It’s a piece of jewelry that necessitates a display of magical supremacy in order to work, but Tom wonders if the safeguard was put in place for other reasons. What had the powerful Salazar Slytherin intended to do with a mere trinket anyway?
The golden doors of the locket open and reveal nothing.
It’s oddly disappointing. Tom understands that he wouldn’t have been the only one to see the secret inside should there have been one. Yet it would have been fascinating to see what Slytherin might have used the locket for.
No matter. Tom will find a superior use for it now.
(4/26)
The house is hidden within Burnham Beeches. Although it’s rarely used by Voldemort to bring Death Eaters together, it’s magically concealed, protected with many of the same charms that Hogwarts employs to keep muggles and unfriendly wizards away. The inside consists of necessities for battle and a few frivolous items, should Voldemort ever want them. He never does though; he’s too busy pressing his advantage within the wizarding world for anything else. For that reason, he has had to rely on various locations to deliver the messages other magical means of communication can’t be trusted to send.
Yet Burnham Beeches still serves a purpose even when he can’t be there.
The woodlands can conceal even the loudest of screams.
Within his ranks, there are servants who need a continual supply of violence. Voldemort only forces them to exercise restraint when necessary, on the rare occasion that a traitorous pureblood is worth more alive than dead. Otherwise… why shouldn’t his Death Eaters perfect their bloodletting skills?
Bellatrix in particular seems to require a quantum of torture frequently. Voldemort sees it in her deadened dark eyes. She is infatuated with him because of his own penchant for murder. Should he force her to exercise too much self-control however, she would abandon his ranks. He tolerates this - for now. Like the wildest of creatures, she needs to be coaxed toward obedience. Oh, he’ll hurt her when it’s required, but it would be far better currently to allow her her toys to satiate her hunger.
It will make her more loyal in the end.
He allows her exclusive use of the home when she feels it necessary to play with a muggle or two without distraction. She takes only those who will never be missed or whose disappearance will never be the subject of great speculation. She takes the least impressive muggles who inspire her anger. She knows to leave the magical community alone until he gives her instructions otherwise.
Today will be one of those times when she earns the right to remove a wizard. He travels to Burnham Beeches, where he knows she’s demonstrating her prowess on an unsuspecting mudblood. The order could be delivered other ways, but he wants her to associate his presence with this gift.
Once he passes through the magical barriers, he can hear the screaming. From a girl, he guesses with no real interest in whether or not he’s right. When he enters the home, he is impressed with the amount of blood Bellatrix has managed to extract from a young woman.
Before either woman registers his appearance, Voldemort has raised his wand - “Avada Kedavra” - and killed the muggle. He does not intend to give the filthy mudblood the kindness of a quick release, but today benevolence works to his advantage and the creature’s.
Bellatrix turns to see who has robbed her of the joy of being the one to take the animal’s life. Her rage lessens when she sees who it is.
She smiles at him when he tells her what he wants done.
(5/26)